Beef Science Commons^™

Accuracy Of Gebv Of Sires Based On Pooled Allele Frequency Of Their Progeny, Napoleón Vargas Jurado, Larry A. Kuehn, John W. Keele, Ronald M. Lewis

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Despite decreasing genotyping costs, in some cases individually genotyping animals is not economically feasible (e.g., in small ruminants). An alternative is to pool DNA, using the pooled allele frequency (PAF) to garner information on performance. Still, the use of PAF for prediction (estimation of genomic breeding values; GEBVs) has been limited. Two potential sources of error on accuracy of GEBV of sires, obtained from PAF of their progeny themselves lacking pedigree information, were tested: (i) pool construction error (unequal contribution of DNA from animals in pools), and (ii) technical error (variability when reading the array). Pooling design (random, extremes, K-means), …

Development And Validation Of A Neural Network For The Automated Detection Of Horn Flies On Cattle, Eric T. Psota, E. K. Luc, G. M. Pighetti, L. G. Schneider, R. T. Trout Fryxell, J. W. Keele, L. A. Kuehn

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

When the number of horn flies that blood feed on cattle exceeds the economic threshold, they can adversely affect the health and wellbeing of their hosts. Excessive horn fly burdens also lead to reduced weight gain and, consequently, diminished profits for livestock producers. Effective management and treatment require reliable surveillance methods for estimating the degree of horn fly burden (i.e., counting the number of flies on cattle). Traditionally, these estimates are obtained through human visual estimation, either in-person or by counting images on a photo; however, these methods are costly both in terms of time and labor and are prone …

Use Of Bedding Materials In Beef Bedded Manure Packs At Hot And Cold Ambient Temperatures: Effects On Odorous Volatile Organic Compounds And Odor Activity Values, Jeff P. Jaderborg, Mindy J. Spiehs, Bryan L. Woodbury, Alfredo Dicostanzo, David B. Parker

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Beef cattle producers are beginning to raise cattle in confinement facilities such as slatted-floor barns, hoop barns, and mono-slope facilities. Hoop and mono-slope facilities typically use bedding packs as part of their manure management system, with crop residues being the most commonly used bedding material. This study was conducted to determine the effects of bedding material, i.e., corn stover (CS), bean stover (BS), wheat straw (WS), or pine wood chips (PC), and environmental ambient temperature, i.e., cold (15°C) or hot (30°C), on the concentrations of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air samples collected in the headspace above lab-scale bedded …

Genetic Changes In Beef Cow Traits Following Selection For Calving Ease, Gary L. Bennett, Richard M. Thallman, Warren M. Snelling, John W. Keele, Harvey C. Freetly, Larry A. Kuehn

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

One approach to reducing calving difficulty is to select heifers with higher breeding value for calving ease. Calving ease is often associated with lower birth weight and that may result in other possible effects on lifetime productivity. Females from experimental select and control calving ease lines within each of the seven populations were compared. Random samples of 720 heifers from lines selected for better calving ease breeding values and 190 heifers from control lines selected for average birth weights were followed through four parities. Select and control lines within the same population were selected to achieve similar yearling weight breeding …

Comparison Of Performance Of F1 Romanov Crossbred Ewes With Wool And Hair Breeds During Fall Lambing And Body Weight And Longevity Through Six Production Years, Thomas W. Murphy, Brad A. Freking

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The objective of this study was to evaluate wool (Dorset and Rambouillet) and hair (Dorper, Katahdin, and White Dorper) breeds for their ability to complement Romanov germplasm in an annual fall lambing system by estimating direct maternal grandsire and sire breed effects on economically important lamb and ewe traits. After 3 yr of evaluation under spring lambing, ewes of the five F1 types were transitioned to spring mating, exposed to composite terminal sires, and evaluated under a barn lambing system at 4, 5, and 6 yr of age. A total of 527 first generation crossbred (F1) ewes produced 1,151 litters …

Review: Perspective On High-Performing Dairy Cows And Herds, J. H. Britt, R. A. Cushman, C. D. Dechow, H. Dobson, P. Humblot, M. F. Hutjens, G. A. Jones, F. M. Mitloehner, P. L. Ruegg, I. M. Sheldon, J. S. Stevenson

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Milk and dairy products provide highly sustainable concentrations of essential amino acids and other required nutrients for humans; however, amount of milk currently produced per dairy cow globally is inadequate to meet future needs. Higher performing dairy cows and herds produce more milk with less environmental impact per kg than lower performing cows and herds. In 2018, 15.4% of the world's dairy cows produced 45.4% of the world's dairy cow milk, reflecting the global contribution of high-performing cows and herds. In high-performing herds, genomic evaluations are utilized for multiple trait selection, welfare is monitored by remote sensing, rations are formulated …

Range Beef Cow Symposium Xxvii, 2021, Rapid City, South Dakota

Range Beef Cow Symposium

2021 Range Beef Cow Symposium, presented by the Cooperative Extension Services and Animal Science Departments of University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, South Dakota State University, and University of Nebraska—Lincoln.

Impact Of Mixed Biofilm Formation With Environmental Microorganisms On E. Coli O157:H7 Survival Against Sanitization, Sapna Chitlapilly Dass, Joseph M. Bosilevac, Maggie Weinroth, Christian Elowsky, You Zhou, Angela Anandappa, Rong Wang

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Biofilm formation by foodborne pathogens is a serious threat to food safety and public health. Meat processing plants may harbor various microorganisms and occasional foodborne pathogens; thus, the environmental microbial community might impact pathogen survival via mixed biofilm formation. We collected floor drain samples from two beef plants with different E. coli O157:H7 prevalence history and investigated the effects of the environmental microorganisms on pathogen sanitizer tolerance. The results showed that biofilm forming ability and bacterial species composition varied considerably based on the plants and drain locations. E. coli O157:H7 cells obtained significantly higher sanitizer tolerance in mixed biofilms by …

Effect Of Method Of Drying Piglets At Birth On Rectal Temperature Over The First 24 H After Birth, Katherine D. Vande Pol, Andres F. Tolosa, Caleb M. Shull, Catherine B. Brown, Stephan A.S. Alencar, Michael Ellis

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Piglets are born wet, and evaporation of that moisture decreases body temperature, increasing the risk of mortality. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of two commercially applicable methods for drying piglets at birth on piglet rectal temperature over 24 h after birth. The study was carried out in standard commercial farrowing facilities with 52 litters, using a completely randomized design with three Drying Treatments: Control (not dried); Desiccant (dried at birth using a cellulose-based desiccant); Paper Towel (dried at birth using paper towels). Litters were randomly allotted to treatments at the birth of the first piglet. …

Effect Of Drying And/Or Warming Piglets At Birth On Rectal Temperature Over The First 24 H After Birth, Katherine D. Vande Pol, Andres F. Tolosa, Caleb M. Shull, Catherine B. Brown, Stephan A. S. Alencar, Michael Ellis

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Piglets experience a rapid decrease in body temperature immediately after birth, increasing the risk of mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of drying and/or warming piglets at birth on rectal temperature over the first 24 h after birth. The study was carried out at a commercial sow facility using a completely randomized design with four treatments (applied to piglets at birth): Control (no drying or warming), Desiccant (dried using a desiccant), Warming Box (placed in a box under a heat lamp for 30 min), and Desiccant + Warming Box (both dried and warmed as above). …

Drought Decisions: Profit Maximizing Decisions During And After Drought Conditions, Robert Tigner, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

In summary, using available price risk management tools can effectively reduce some of the market price risk variability that is inherent in agricultural production that are caused by either production or price risk.

Life Cycle Assessment Of The Us Beef Processing Through Integrated Hybrid Approach, Shaobin Li, Yuwei Qin, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Bruce Dvorak

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) incorporating process-based and economic input-output (EIO)–based inventory data has been applied in various industries (e.g., wind energy, biofuel). Few hybrid LCA studies have been found in the food industry. This work analyzes the life cycle environmental impacts of the US beef processing industry using process-based and integrated hybrid LCA. The process-based inventory includes all resource inputs and waste outputs associated with a beef processing plant. The EIO-based inventory includes key activities missing in the process-based inventory, such as technical and management service, wood and paper, and industrial equipment. Ten environmental impact categories from TRACI v2.1 …

Feeder Cattle Future Price Spreads: Opportunities To Hedge?, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

First paragraph:

Feeder cattle future price spreads across all months have recovered to near pre-COVID-19 levels as quarantine restrictions and packing plant capacity issues have been mostly sorted out. For example, for the week of July 17, 2010 [sic], prices reached levels not seen since the beginning of March 2020. Pasture and corn progress are two factors that have the potential to push prices lower in the next coming months. Given current market conditions, producers have some options to lock in a margin.

Evaluation Of Protein Sources And Holstein Finishing Systems For Organic Beef Production And A Comparison Of Single And Dual Implant Strategies In Finishing Heifers, Elizabeth A. Schumacher

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two in situ experiments were conducted to compare the rumen undegradable protein content (RUP) and RUP digestibility of conventional and organic field peas, fish meal, dehydrated alfalfa, and soybean meal. Significant differences were detected between feed samples in both studies for all variables measured. Variation existed between sample types but the data did not suggest that organic and conventional feeds are different when processed with the same methods. A performance experiment was conducted utilizing individually fed Holstein steers comparing the effect of RUP source in a simulated organic production system. Dietary treatments were: no supplemental protein (NONE), field peas (FP), …

Value Added Fed And Feeder Cattle Practices: Are They Paying?, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

Summary

Some value added management programs clearly pay more than others and some do not pay at all. However, just like with a breeding or forage management strategy where not every year the cow gets bred back or the grass has sufficient protein, a value added program strategies premiums vary year to year. Switching the way cattle are managed and raised, handled, and fed requires planning and an understanding of labor and management capabilities. Not every cattle producer could or even should switch management practices an animal health protocol – even if premiums do exist. Thus, careful planning and consideration …

The Impact Of Cow Size On Cow–Calf And Postweaning Progeny Performance In The Nebraska Sandhills, Rob L. Ziegler, Jacki A. Musgrave, Tanya L. Meyer, R. Funston, Elliott James Dennis, Kathy Hanford, J. C. Macdonald, Travis Mulliniks

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Optimizing beef production system efficiency requires an understanding of genetic potential suitable for a given production environment. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the influence of cow body weight (BW) adjusted to a common body condition score (BCS) of 5 at weaning-influenced cow-calf performance and postweaning steer and heifer progeny performance. Data were collected at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman, NE, on crossbred, mature cows (n = 1,607) from 2005 to 2017. Cow BCS at calving, prebreeding, and weaning were positively associated (P < 0.01) with greater cow BW. Increasing cow BW was positively associated (P < 0.01) with the percentage of cows that conceived during a 45-d breeding season. For every additional 100-kg increase in cow BW, calf BW increased (P < 0.01) at birth by 2.70 kg and adjusted 205-d weaning BW by 14.76 kg. Calf preweaning average daily gain (ADG) increased (P < 0.01) 0.06 kg/d for every additional 100-kg increase in cow BW. Heifer progeny BW increased (P < 0.01) postweaning with every additional 100-kg increase in dam BW. Dam BW did not influence (P ≥ 0.11) heifer puberty status prior to breeding, overall pregnancy rates, or the percentage of heifers calving in the first 21 d of the calving season. Steer initial feedlot BW increased by 7.20 kg, reimplant BW increased by 10.47 kg, and final BW increased by 10.29 kg (P ≤ 0.01) for every additional 100-kg increase in dam BW. However, steer feedlot ADG was not influenced (P > 0.67) by dam BW. Hot carcass weights of steers were increased (P = …

Use Of Uav Imagery And Nutrient Analyses For Estimation Of The Spatial And Temporal Contributions Of Cattle Dung To Nutrient Cycling In Grazed Ecosystems, Amanda E. Shine

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nutrient inputs from cattle dung are crucial drivers of nutrient cycling processes in grazed ecosystems. These inputs are important both spatially and temporally and are affected by variables such as grazing strategy, water location, and the nutritional profile of forage being grazed. Past research has attempted to map dung deposition patterns in order to more accurately estimate nutrient input, but the large spatial extent of a typical pasture and the tedious nature of identifying and mapping individual dung pats has prohibited the development of a time- and cost-effective methodology. The first objective of this research was to develop and validate …

Brangus Cows Have Ovarian Reserve Parameters More Like Brahman Than Angus Cows, Robert A. Cushman, Émerson M. Soares, Hannah K. Yake, Allyson L. Patterson, Shelby L. Rosasco, Joslyn K. Beard, Emmalee J. Northrop, Jerica J.J. Rich, Jeremy R. Miles, Chadwick C. Chase Jr., Michael G. Gonda, George A. Perry, Anthony K. Mcneel, Adam F. Summers

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Bos indicus females have more surface antral follicles than Bos taurus females; however, histological studies demonstrated no difference in total number of primordial follicles between these two biological types of cattle. Primordial follicle density in the ovary was less in Nelore ovaries compared to Angus ovaries, but no studies have examined the primordial follicle density in Bos indicus cross-bred females. It, therefore, was hypothesized that primordial follicle density in the ovary would decrease as percentage Bos indicus increased. Ovaries were collected from cross-bred Angus (n=32, no Bos indicus influence), Brangus (n=15), or Brahman (n=9) …

Effects Of Late Gestation Supplementation And Creep Feeding On Spring Calving Beef Cows In The Nebraska Sandhills, Devin Lynn Broadhead

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objectives of this research were to 1) evaluate the effects of late gestation supplementation, synchronization and creep feeding on cow and calf production traits 2) evaluate the pooled effects of 5 studies involving late gestation supplementation on cow and calf traits. Experiment 1 was a three year study conducted on 8 pastures at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory. Cows were assigned to 1 of 4 late-gestation supplementation treatments, postpartum progestin or control, and 1 of 2 creep feed treatments to make up a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Calves were followed through to slaughter.

Experiment 2 involved 5 …

Environmental Sampling Techniques For Herd-Level Surveillance Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, Jaden Carlson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Control of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) relies on resource-intensive individual animal sampling to detect and remove persistently infected (PI) cattle. Herd-level surveillance tools would be useful for herds with unknown BVDV status and for monitoring herds with BVDV-free status. The overall objective of this thesis is to explore the viability of BVDV surveillance at a herd-level using samples collected without handling individual animals. The first objective was to determine the feasibility of using stable flies as a sampling tool to detect BVDV. The second objective was to determine the feasibility of using drinking water to detect BVDV. To accomplish …

Sustainability Assessment Of U.S. Beef Processing And Its Antimicrobial Systems, Shaobin Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the increasing meat demand and awareness of sustainability, concerns have been raised regarding the sustainability of beef production and processing. However, scarce data and inadequate sustainability assessment frameworks for the U.S. beef processing industry limit the ability to develop new technologies and policies comprehensively without shifting sustainability burdens. To fill those gaps, various assessments of the U.S. beef processing industry were conducted from multiple perspectives regarding the environmental, economic, microbial effectiveness of its antimicrobial systems, and human health impacts from foodborne illness, occupational hazards, and environmental pollution.

First, process-level water and energy usage at a typical large-size beef processing …

Beef Production Systems In The Nebraska Sandhills, Mckay Reed Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Four studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of improving production systems of beef cattle in the Sandhills region of Nebraska. These studies were to determine impacts of modified estrus synchronization protocols, genomic testing heifer calves for longevity, and evaluation of 2 differing calving systems (March or May) for improving biological outcome and improved production. Experiment 1 utilized 180 yearling heifers to determine the effectiveness of a second dose of prostaglandin F_2α(PGF) with those females not expressing estrus after an initial 14 d MGA-PG estrus synchronization protocol. The treatment of PGF did increase estrus expression, but did not …

Evaluating The Epidemiology And Management Of Bovine Congestive Heart Failure, Adam Bassett

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A form of congestive heart failure is increasingly reported as a cause of death in feedlot cattle located at moderate altitude (≤ 1,524 m.). Significant knowledge gaps exist in the epidemiology and management of this form of bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) regarding frequency and timing of BCHF cases and ways in which beef cattle producers and veterinarians can mitigate this condition. These knowledge gaps present major barriers to understanding the mechanism of BCHF and mitigating the consequences of BCHF. The purpose of this thesis is to summarize current knowledge about BCHF, define gaps in knowledge for which more research …

Selective Harvest Methods And Chemical Treatment Of Baled Corn Residue For Utilization In Growing Calf And Dry Cow Diets, Ashley C. Conway

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Three studies were conducted to evaluate baled corn residue using selective harvest method and anhydrous ammonia treatments to assess utility in growing calf and dry cow diets. Baled corn residue was harvested using conventional rake-and-bale (CONV) method, or harvested using the New Holland Cornrower in which either eight rows (8ROW), or two rows (2ROW) of corn stalks were chopped into the windrow with tailings. Bales were either not treated or ammoniated at 5.5% DM. When fed to wether lambs in a mixed ration (65% residue, 30% wet corn gluten feed) to determine digestibility, the 2ROW residue had greater apparent DM, …

Examining The Capacity Of Nebraska Rangelands For Cattle Production And Evaluating Drought Management Strategies, Kaitlyn L. Cumming

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis has two chapters focusing on the grazing capacity of Nebraska rangelands, and drought management strategies. The first chapter conducts a gap analysis comparing forage supplied by perennial grasslands to the animal unit months (AUMs) required by the cattle. The purpose of this research was to quantify potential AUM supply (i.e., carrying capacity) of grazing lands dominated by perennial grasses on a regional basis in Nebraska to the AUM demand based on cattle inventories and standard production practices in each region of Nebraska. The results suggest that Nebraska is operating at 100% of potential carrying capacity. Harvest efficiency for …

Nebraska Grazing Conference Proceedings, 2019, Center For Grassland Studies, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska Grazing Conference Proceedings

Rangeland Health Session

Managing Sand Deposits after the Flood by Daren Redfearn

Rangeland Health: What Is It and Why Do I Care?” by Patrick Shaver

Managing a Sandhills Ranch with an Eye to Soil Health by Dana Larsen

Grazinglands Management Session

Soil Health: Expectations and Evidence by Virginia Jin

Mob Grazing on Nebraska Sandhills Meadow by Walt Schacht

Effect of Length of Grazing Period on Upland Sandhills Range by Jerry Volesky

Carbon Input and Loss in Semi-arid Sandy Rangeland by Martha Mamo

Graze 365 by Jacob Miller

Soil Health and Grazing Strategies: Opportunities for Increasing Soil Water by Andrea Basche …

The Effects Of Sample Storage Conditions On The Microbial Community Composition In Hydraulic Fracturing Produced Water, Daniel Lipus, Amit Vikram, Richard Hammack, Kyle Bibby, Djuna Gulliver

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The petroleum industry has an increasing interest in understanding the microbial communities driving biofouling and biocorrosion in reservoirs, wells, and infrastructure. However, sampling of the relevant produced fluids from subsurface environments for microbiological analyses is often challenged by high liquid pressures, workplace regulations, operator liability concerns, and remote sampling locations. These challenges result in infrequent sampling opportunities and the need to store and preserve the collected samples for several days or weeks. Maintaining a representative microbial community structure from produced fluid samples throughout storage and handling is essential for accurate results of downstream microbial analyses. Currently, no sample handling or …

Evaluation Of Growth Promoting Implant Strategies And Days On Feed On Finishing Heifer Performance And Evaluation Of Optimal Reimplant Times For Finishing Heifers And Steers, Caitlin A. Ohnoutka

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two experiments evaluated the effects of delayed, long-acting coated implants or uncoated implants to non-implanted heifers fed for constant or varying days on feed. In Exp. 1, heifers were implanted with either Revalor-XH on d 1, Revalor-200 on d 1, Revalor-XR on d 1, or Revalor-200 on d 70 compared to non-implanted control heifers when fed for an average of 198 d. In Exp. 2, heifers were implanted with Revalor-200 on d 1 and reimplanted with Revalor-200 on d 100, Revalor-XH on d 1, or not implanted and fed for different days on feed: 151, 165, 179, or 193. Implanting …

Impact Of Shade On Performance And Heat Stress Of Finishing Cattle And Pooled Analysis Of Individually Fed Finishing Trials, Brett A. Melton

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A commercial feedyard trial in Eastern Nebraska evaluated the effect of shade vs no shade on cattle performance, ear temperature, and panting scores. No differences in overall performance (final BW, DMI, ADG, and G:F) or carcass characteristics (HCW, 12^th rib fat thickness, marbling, LM area, and calculated YG) were observed. Cattle that were provided shade had lower panting scores and ear temperatures, and greater DMI, compared to cattle that had no shade during heat events. Also, a treatment by hour interaction for movement of cattle occurred for one of the heat events. In comparison, the cool event had greater …

Identifying Breed Effects For Cow Mature Weight, Madeline J. Zimmermann

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mature weight (MWT) in beef cattle has increased over the past 30 yr. In general, larger cows are costlier to maintain than smaller cows, and their profitability depends on their production environment. A wide range of beef production environments exist in the United States. There are also a variety of beef cattle breeds that can be chosen and mated to create a type of cow which will be optimally suited to excel in a given environment. However, there remains a need for tools allowing effective comparison among breeds to facilitate such decision making. Unfortunately, estimated progeny differences ( …